Bass of the Week: JanAid Guitars’ Bob Abbott Yolanda 5

Named after a butterfly found in southern Spain, the JanAid Yolanda 5 bass draws inspiration from nature. This week, we check out the latest incarnation of the bass, which is also a signature model for Baltimore-based player Bob Abbott.

The Yolanda 5 was built with a variety of woods, utilizing their “defects” to create a a piece of art. The body’s core is purpleheart and cedar with a curly southern Spanish olive top, while the back is made from big leaf maple. The neck is African elondo and purpleheart. The headstock is Spanish cherry with a southern Spanish Olive top.

Besides the beautiful color stains used to bring out the figures from the woods, this bass is the first of JanAid’s to feature glass accents. The glasses adorning the headstock and knobs were created specially for the instrument by Spanish glass artisans Taller De Vidriomundo.

In staying true to the nature theme, lady bug and frog inlays are featured on the pickups and preamp cover on the back. The inlays are covered with LightAid, the company’s natural glow-in-the-dark base.

The electronics on the bass include a pair of SoundAid Hybrid model pickups made by JanAid and a CombiEq3 18 volts preamp, which offers treble, bass, and mid controls as well as high and low pass filters.

JanAid creates each bass custom and by hand, so pricing varies. The Yolanda 5 has a base price of €2900, which is approximately $3,884 USD. For more info, visit the JanAid website.

Every time something new splits the opinions: someone told Jacowhen he soloing: “Hey man, that’s not a guitar, it’s a bass”, or when the fifth and sixth string were introduced on the classical guitar someone thought “why? a four string guitar is enough”… and the all the people now imitates Jaco and all the people play a 6 string classical guitar. Evolution got the last word, ever,:-))
Sometimes musicians are the worst enemies of the music and the instruments, because they think about their limits, they have in mind a “traditional shape”, but traditional at its time was Revolutionary:-))
Janaid instruments are pieces of contemporary art, like Salvador Dali, you may like or not, but that art stands proud of its mediterranean colors, from the hand of the genius Javier Lopez.
Go Janaid, you rock brother!!

@[710603376:2048:Bob Abbott] Me too bro!! It’s awesome, all the friendship and love that grows around@[100000528387965:2048:JanAid Guitars], so many people love him and his basses!! , I’m sure Javier will be proud of this. You’re making the world better with your basses Janaid:-)

Wise words master Viz!!
I am so proud of my Janaid bass, looks and sounds different!! i will buy soon my second one , fretless. Anyway i love this Yolanda model, it looks like a tropical plant, a moving effect:-)

When you know what you want, and which path you want your music to follow, all of the above (inspirational visual art on master luthiery) are even more helpfull.So instead of walking into labyrinths with the eyes looking down, make your own musical filters work, exploit your full potential and create your own art, just like Viz and Javier! All these visual additions are not “noise”, the problem was always the lack of musicians with a clear mind, and. vision

I’ve been playing a JanAid bass of a little over a year now. I have sold all of my other basses because none compare to the sound of my JanAid. Javier’s designs are beautiful and each one is unique and impossible to replicate. So many custom designers simply put some fancy finish on the same bass over and over. Each JanAid is built specifically for its player and there is no formula for a JanAid, Javier is an artist and a great friend.

All i can say is that every Javier’s creation is a masterpiece…i’m a fortunate owner of a JanAid bass and i can tell you that they sound like you immagine that your bass should sound…just because Javier will build your bass with your stile, personality and expectations in mind…every JanAid bass is unique, just like you… I love JanAid basses and of course the beautiful Yolanda 5… ;-)

Viz, Daniele, Travis, Dejan, Goran, and eveyone – I completely agree with you 100000% about JanAid Guitars – To me the craftsmanship if wonderful – very much like an master from the from one of the classic periods. What makes JanAid Guitars so wonderful is that Javier not only custom builds for the individual that he is building the instrument for but also respects the material that he is using. Every bass that I have had the honor of seeing and playing in person is completely different. JanAid Guitars is allowing nature to come alive and show off through a musical instrument. It is not an instrument for everyone. For me it has allowed and inspired me to feel more a part of the of the artistic musical process by having an instrument that inspires me to play and become more creative. My musical voice has been opened fully due JanAid Guitars. I know that I have been truly blessed by owning such a great instrument. It is truly wonderful having someone who is my great friend and brother who has shared his time and talents to build it for me. If you have not taken the time to look at JanAid Guitars, please take the time to view some works of art and be amazed by a modern master…..

Amazing sound and construction !!! Every Janaid bass has a particoular soul and tris model Yolanda is an evolution of all Javier Lopez experience and art. From today, all bassists have a new SUPER gear in their hand !

Just thought I would give everyone an update – I had the chance to turn the lights of with the bass in the room and it had started to glow – JanAid Guitars has applied their LightAid Lacquer all over the bass and the shading that we see on the body glows and is reflected by the LightAid. JanAid Guitars not only has the ability to make beautiful instruments and works of art from nature but they also have the ability to create works of art that will light up the night!